Spinning Today (Classical version)

[morris_minor]

Handley is enjoyable nonetheless - but I doubt I'll play this one again.

I rarely play mine, preferring Boult - but it's the least played, anyway, of the RVW cycle.

Do you have Richard Hickox's "London" on Chandos, Jerry? With the cuts VW made restored.

[morris_minor]

This morning -

Various Vivaldi concertos from a number of Argo LPs - Marinner/ASMF.

Now -

Moeran's "Second Symphony" as per a few posts ago. Definitely repays repeat listens

[Barry]

Some odds 'n' sods:

Philip Glass - 'Violin Concerto', 'Company' and 'Akhenaten'
Adele Anthony, violin. Ulster Orchestra cond. Tako Yuasa.
Naaxos 8.554568

Jean-Phillipe Rameau - 'Overtures and Suites'
Orchestra of the 18th Century, cond. Frans Bruggen; Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, cond, Gustave Leonhardt and New Philharmonia Orchestra, cond. Raymond Leppard.
Philips 468 169-2

Beethoven - 'Symphony No. 3' and 'Coriolan Overture'
Wiener Phiharmoniker, cond. Claudio Abbado.
1987 DGG 419 597-2

Berlioz -'Symphonie Fantastique'
Berlin Philharmoniker, cond. Karajan.
1975 DGG 2530 597

Haydn - 'Symphonies 94 and 101'
Berlin Philharmoniker, cond. Karl Richter
1970 DGG SLPM 138782

Tchaikovsky - 'Symphony No. 5'
Berliner Philharmoniker, cond. Karajan
1976 DGG 2530 699

[JJack]

I still have equipment on demo at my house, so I've been listening to a lot of stuff (often, alas, not complete works as I'm "evaluating" and not just listening).

Beethoven 5, Walter/CSO on SACD

Schubert 8, Walter/NY on SACD (entire work)

Beethoven Op 127, Italian Quartet, on vinyl (entire work)

Brahms Piano concerto 1, Kovacevich/Sawallisch/London Phil on EMI CD (entire work)

Gieseking, some Debussy preludes on the incredible 4-CD EMI set. A must-have and one of the best mono recordings ever.

Mravinsky, Wagner orchestral pieces on Erato CD. The Lohengrin Act 1 prelude, maybe the most intense soft string playing I've ever heard. I'm going to play it again right now (1:10 am)

Mravinsky, Tschiakovsky 5 on Russian disc CD, 1983 recording. Snippets of other pieces from this double-disc set.

Liturgy of St. John, Slavyanka on HM CD. Sam Tellig raved about these guys once. I didn't care for this disc.

Canteloube songs of the Auvergne, Upshaw/Nagano on Erato CD. Wow.

Lots more but I'll stop there. I've been comparing a Naim Supernait to a Luxman 505u, and having LOTS of fun playing with this expensive stuff. One of them is going back next week. Hopefully I can get a good price on the other one.

[jandl100]

Moeran's "Second Symphony" as per a few posts ago. Definitely repays repeat listens

Ditto - my copy arrived yesterday.

Yup, interesting, but more listening required. A nicely ear-catching opening, and a sound definitely reminiscent of Moeran's only completed symphony - you are definitely in the same musical world here! I look forward to becoming more familiar with this - thanks for the reccie, Bob!

Also ...
Malipieri string quartets again. Hmmm, these are definitely growing on me! They kind of remind me of the Villa Lobos string quartets, and that is praise of a high order from me.

Vaughan Williams Symphony #8. Handley, EMI CD.
Hmm. Handley doesn't quite do it in RVW, does he? Lots that is good, but also bland patches, and it doesn't cohere as a whole musical experience.
I much prefer Handley's Elgar.

And to end the evening on an entirely positive note - a Weiss Solo Lute sonata - on Naxos CD. Bliss, pure bliss. the sound quality on this series is near perfect, too - the transient rich but mellow sound of a solo lute captured, nicely focussed, in an entirely believable acoustic space. Fab!

[jandl100]

Ummmm .... can I put in a plea here?

How about more folk doing some commentary on what you've heard?

Knowing that someone has listened to, say, Roger Norrington conducting Brahms 3rd symphony is mildly interesting.
But knowing what they thought of it would be interest of an entirely more interesting kind!

How about it folks, at least for some of the things you list? Should I rush onto Amazon and order it? - or should I steer clear? And why?! What performances have you heard that you prefer, what 's the sound quality like ....? etc etc.

Some folks are doing this already, good on yer!

____

To be honest, endless lists of what had been listened to without much, if any, commentary is what killed off the Wigwam forum's classical "spinning today" equivalent thread.

[morris_minor]

Ummmm .... can I put in a plea here?

How about more folk doing some commentary on what you've heard?

Will try harder . Think quality over quantity maybe . .

Just about to put on "13 Faces of Lightning Head" for the first time . . oh, wrong thread . .

[morris_minor]

While we're on Shostakovitch, another Kondrashin recording I have is Symphony 4. (ASD2741)

Just listened to this. It's first outing in about 10 years I think .

What a stunning piece! Exciting, manic climaxes, moody woodwind melodies, and a spooky coda with a real cock-a-snoop final note on the celesta (?). No wonder the authorities came down on him! This performance was recorded in 1962 only year after its first performance - some 25 years after it was composed.

The Soviet recording is a bit rough and ready in places; there's some tape wobble, and a few pre-echoes, but nothing to get hung up on. Russian orchestral tone adds "authenticity" - hollow woodwind, fruity brass with a bit of extra vibrato/tremolo, and gutsy strings.

My copy cleaned up nicely, and sounded good with the new Sony XL-MC104P cartridge I got yesterday - will definitely do a needledrop of this for my "other devices" . . .

Edit: was that better Jerry?

[Barry]

Ummmm .... can I put in a plea here?

How about more folk doing some commentary on what you've heard?

Knowing that someone has listened to, say, Roger Norrington conducting Brahms 3rd symphony is mildly interesting.
But knowing what they thought of it would be interest of an entirely more interesting kind!

How about it folks, at least for some of the things you list? Should I rush onto Amazon and order it? - or should I steer clear? And why?! What performances have you heard that you prefer, what 's the sound quality like ....? etc etc.

Some folks are doing this already, good on yer!

____

To be honest, endless lists of what had been listened to without much, if any, commentary is what killed off the Wigwam forum's classical "spinning today" equivalent thread.

Oh well - no more posts from me then!

[jandl100]

Oh well - no more posts from me then!

Oh dear.

Don't you have opinions that you would be kind and generous enough to share, Barry?
I thought that was what forums were about - sharing opinions / thoughts / views / experiences / recommendations.

Anyway, you don't have to do what I suggest. I've not been made King yet.